January 12, 2016

The Revenant exemplifies white privilege

Someone could do a good analysis of how this Oscar talk exemplifies and perpetuates white privilege. DiCaprio used his clout to make a movie about him--I mean his character. He chose a historical period where white men were the predominant "heroes"--unless you try to do a risky slave or suffragette narrative. And he's "due" for an Oscar because of all his previous roles--Titanic, The Aviator, Wolf of Wall Street, etc.--featuring a white male protagonist.

The odds are stacked in his favor. Good luck, Will Smith and Denzel Washington, in finding, pitching, and making a similar movie featuring a nonwhite protagonist. As for you, Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson, forget about it.